As well known, products of the propylene homopolymerization can be either crystalline or amorphous. Whereas the polypropylene having isotactic or syndiotactic structure is crystalline, the polypropylene having essentially atactic structure appears to be amorphous. The atactic polypropylene, in the representation by the Fischer formula as described in "M. Farina, Topics Stereochem., 17, (1987), 1-111", shows methyl groups casually arranged from one or from the other side of the polymeric chain. As described in the above mentioned publication, useful information on the structure can be obtained from the NMR analysis.
The amorphous polypropylene available on the market is mainly used in adhesive compositions and as additive in bitumens. Generally, it is a by-product of the isotactic polypropylene obtained in the presence of catalysts of the Ziegler-Natta type. However, the separation of the small fractions of amorphous polypropylene from the remainder product involves inconvenient separation processes with solvents.
By operating with catalysts of the metallocene type, polypropylenes having high crystallinity degrees are generally obtained. However, some metallocene catalytic systems are able to polymerize the propylene to amorphous polypropylene. A drawback of these polymers is that they are endowed with low molecular weights.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,542,199 describes a catalytic system for the polymerization of olefins comprising a bis(cyclopentadienyl)zirconium compound and an alumoxane. From the polymerization reaction of propylene carried out in the presence of this catalyst, low molecular weight atactic polypropylene is obtained.
European patent application No. 283,739 describes a catalytic system for the polymerization of olefins comprising a partially substituted bis(cyclopentadienyl)zirconium compound and an alumoxane. From the polymerization reaction of propylene carried out in the presence of this catalyst, low molecular weight atactic polypropylene is obtained.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,931,417 describes catalysts for the polymerization of olefins comprising a metallocene compound wherein two cyclopentadienyl rings are joined through a radical containing a silicon or germanium atom. The polymerization reaction of propylene carried out in the presence of these compounds partially substituted on the cyclopentadienyl rings gives raise to isotactic polypropylene, whereas with dimethylsilanediylbis(cyclopentadienyl)zirconium dichloride low molecular weight atactic polypropylene is obtained.
Finally, in European patent application No. 399,347 it is described a process for the polymerization of propylene in the presence of a catalyst comprising a bridged metallocene having a cyclopentadienyl ring and a fluorenyl ring, such as isopropyliden(9-fluorenyl)(3-methylcyclopentadienyl)zirconium dichloride. An amorphous polypropylene is obtained, the structure of which is however not atactic, but is defined as syndioisoblocks. Namely, it is a structure wherein syndiotactic and isotactic sequences alternate.